Former Indonesian President Suharto has undergone an operation to stop intestinal bleeding.

Chief Presidential Doctor General Marjo Subiandono told the Associated Press he hoped the procedure was a success. Doctors in Jakarta finished the three-hour surgery late Sunday. Medical authorities said the surgery was necessary after a colonoscopy identified the source of the bleeding.

Eighty four-year-old Suharto ruled Indonesia with an iron grip for more than three decades. He was forced to step down in 1998 following mounting civil unrest and allegations of corruption.

He has avoided trial for alleged graft due to health complications, including strokes and heart problems.

Indonesia's attorney general Abdul Rahman Saleh said last month he planned to ask doctors whether Suharto was fit enough to stand trial.